Suzy was active in high school, participating in soccer and tennis. After high school, she became an avid competitor in marathons and triathlons. As a third-year medical student at USC, Suzy was the victim of a body surfing accident. She soon learned how to walk again with braces and a walker after much rehabilitation, and she resumed her studies that fall as a Swim With Mike recipient. After graduating magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of California, Berkeley, Dr. Kim received her medical degree from University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine. She then completed her residency training at the top ranked Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (now known as Shirley Ryan AbilityLab) and Northwestern Memorial Hospital. As a board certified physician in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (PM&R) and Subspecialty Board Certification in Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) Medicine, Dr. Kim has been invited to give expert presentations at national conferences and international symposiums for SCI. Academically, Dr. Kim is well recognized in the SCI rehabilitation field as a peer reviewer for the Journal of Spinal Cord Medicine and Journal of NeuroTrauma, oral boards examiner and senior reviewer for the SCI Subspecialty board exams for the American Board of PM&R. Dr. Kim has recently joined the Board of Directors for the Craig H. Neilsen Foundation, which provides financial support to non-profit organizations dedicated to improving quality of life for SCI individuals. Most recently, with Dr. Kim’s passion for adaptive sports, she has co-authored chapters in the Handbook of Paralympic Studies, The Olympic Manual of Sports Cardiology, and the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeon’s Orthopedic Knowledge Spine Update. Dr. Kim has been a Team Physician for the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) Sports Performance Division Olympic and Paralympic teams since 2009. She has volunteered as the Team Physician with US Paralympic Track & Field (Athletics), US Handcycling and US Wheelchair Tennis teams for various competitions. She also served as one of the Team Physicians at the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games, 2012 London Paralympics Games, Para Pan American Games in 2011 and 2015 and World Championships for Paralympic Track & Field in 2010. As an avid adaptive surfer and wheelchair triathlete, Dr. Kim offers a unique perspective on rehabilitation, medical management of neurologic injuries, and sports medicine management for athletes with physical impairments.

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